A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn

June 11, 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! Secret Science Club presents “Robot (R)Evolution” with Biologist and Cognitive Scientist John Long

Humans have backbones, as do tens of thousands of other creatures. But why? To discover how vertebrates evolved,
biologist John Long uses futuristictechnology to peer deep into the past. He creates bio-robots that simulate the behavior of animals, both living and
extinct. His bio-robots search for resources, compete for mates, deal with threats—and adapt.

Author of the recently published book, Darwin's Devices:
What Evolving Robots Can Teach Us About the History of Life and the Future
of Technology, Dr. Long asks:

--How do bio-robots
evolve? Is robot sex just zeroes and
ones?

--What does it mean
to be intelligent? Are big brains
really necessary?

--How can evolvabots re-create conditions known only from 500-million-year-old
fossils?--What can shark robots teach us about human
evolution? How do robo-prey escape robo-predators?

John Long is
chair of the biology department, professor of biology and cognitive
science, and director of the Interdisciplinary
Robotics Research Lab at VassarCollege. He and his
robots—Madeleine and the Tadros—have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and other publications, and they have
taught evolution on the Discovery and History Channels.

The Secret Science Club is curated by Dorian Devins, Margaret Mittelbach, and Michael Crewdson. Dorian Devins is an NYC-based jazz singer and lyricist, and the former host of WFMU's “The Speakeasy.” Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson write about nature in the strangest of places; they are co-authors of Carnivorous Nights and Wild New York.